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[IARU] [IARU-Region 1] [IARU-Region 2] [IARU-Region 3] [ARDF Committee Region 2] |
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INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR RADIO UNION Region 1 RULES FOR CHAMPIONSHIPS IN AMATEUR RADIO DIRECTION FINDING
PART B - COMPETITION
version 2.7 (January 15th, 2005)
14. Categories Appendix 1: Technical Specifications for Amateur Radio Direction Finding Equipment
14.1. Competitors are divided into the categories according to their sex and age. 14.2. Categories:
14.3 Competitors belong to the M19 or W19 category up to the end of the calendar year in which they reach the age of 19. 14.4 Men competitors aged 40 or older or women competitors aged 35 or older belong to each category from the beginning of the calendar year in which they reach the given age. 14.5 To qualify as an IARU World Championship, a minimum of six societies must have applied to participate. 14.6 Each society may enter a team of up to three competitors per each category. 15.1 For training purposes the organising society shall offer a model event on both bands on the day prior to the first competition to demonstrate the transmitter features, the set-up of transmitters and antennas, the marking devices etc., which will be used in the competitions. If possible, also the terrain type and map quality shall be shown. 15.2 Competitors, Jury members, team officials, IARU officials and media representatives shall be invited to participate in the model event. 15.3 Equal opportunities for training in the model event shall be offered to all societies.
16.1 The start draw shall be supervised by an ARDF International Class Referee being the member of the Jury. The start draw may be public or private. It may be made by hand or by computer. The starting draw shall be done separately for each band. 16.2 The start list shall be published on or before the day prior to the competition and before the team officials’ meeting. 16.3 All competitors and teams correctly entered shall be drawn, even including competitors who might not have arrived at that time. 16.4 Competitors from the same society and category may not start at the same time or consecutively. If they are drawn to start consecutively, the next competitor shall be inserted between them. If this happens at the end of the drawing list, the competitor before them shall be inserted between them. 16.5 The competitors start at equal start intervals. The normal start interval is 5 minutes. 16.6 All competitors of a particular category shall start into the same starting corridor and at the beginning of the same minute of the 5-minute cycle. 16.7 Competitors participating unofficially shall not start until 15 minutes after the last official competitor has started.
17.1 A team officials’ meeting shall be organised on the day prior to each competition. This meeting shall start not later than 19.00 hours. The Chairman of the International Jury shall lead or supervise the meeting. 17.2 All competition material (start number bibs, start lists, transport schedules, latest informations, etc) shall be handed out well before the meeting starts. 17.3 Team officials shall have the opportunity to ask questions during the meeting.
18.1 The terrain shall be suitable for setting competitive ARDF courses without any serious hazards to competitors and avoiding man-made objects which could interfere with direction finding activities. 18.2 The competition area shall not have been used for ARDF for as long as possible prior to the championship - at least not for the last two years - to guarantee fair play. 18.3 The competition area shall be embargoed as soon as it has been selected. All corresponding informations published in the country of the championship should be handed over to the ARDF-WG Chairman for further dissemination. 18.4 Any rights of nature conservation, forestry, hunting, etc in the area shall be respected.
19.1 The Principles for ARDF Course Planning (see Appendix 2) shall be followed. 19.2 The standard of the courses shall be worthy of international ARDF events. The technical and navigational skill, concentration and running ability of the competitors shall be tested. All courses shall call upon a range of different ARDF techniques. 19.3 Transmitters including the finish beacon shall be located not less than 400 meters apart. The transmitter nearest to the start shall be located not less than 750 meters from the start. 19.4 Course lengths shall be given as the length of a straight line from the start line via the transmitters in optimum order to the finish line. They should range from SIX to TEN kilometers. 19.5 Total difference in level of the points of the course (start, transmitters and finish) shall not exceed 200 meters. 19.6 In the event of a thunderstorm, the Chairman of the International Jury is entitled to recall the competition immediately.
20. Restricted areas and routes 20.1 Rules set by the organising society to protect the environment and any related instructions from the organiser shall be strictly observed by all persons connected with the event. 20.2 Out-of-bounds or dangerous areas, forbidden routes, line features that shall not be crossed etc. shall be described in the information and marked on the map. If necessary, they shall also be marked on the ground. Competitors may not enter, follow or cross such areas, routes or features. 20.3 Compulsory routes, crossing points and passages shall be marked clearly on the map and on the ground. Competitors shall follow the entire length of any marked section of their course. 20.4 The use of official transport during the Championship may be declared mandatory by the organiser.
21.1 Maps and additional overprinting shall be drawn and printed according to the IOF International Specification for IOF Maps. The map scale shall be 1:15000 or 1:10000. Deviations need approval by the ARDF WG. 21.2 Errors on the map and changes which have occurred in the terrain since the map was printed shall be overprinted on the map if they have a bearing on the event. 21.3 On the day of the competition, the use of any map of the competition area by competitors or team officials is not allowed until permitted by the organiser. 21.4 The competition map shall cover the whole competition area including start, finish beacon and all transmitters. The starting point and the point of the finish beacon shall be clearly marked on the map. 21.5 Unless otherwise noted, the area covered by the map issued by the organiser shall be considered as the competition area. 21.6 The IARU and its member societies shall have the right of free reproduction of the event maps with courses in their official magazines.
22. Equipment used by competitors 22.1 Every competitor shall have a direction finding receiver for the relevant band. The receivers shall meet the Technical Specifications for ARDF Equipment (see Appendix 1, section 1). 22.2 Start number bibs shall be clearly visible and be worn on the upper part of the body and on back and front of the competitors. The bibs shall not be larger than 25*25 cm with figures at least 14 cm high. The number bibs may not be folded or cut. 22.3 As long as the rules of the organiser do not specify otherwise, the choice of clothing and footwear shall be free. 22.4 On the day of the competition, the use of any telecommunication device by competitors or team officials is prohibited until permitted by the organiser. The penalty for this shall be disqualification. If the team official breaks this rule, the whole team shall be disqualified.
23. Starting tickets and marking devices 23.1 Only ARDF WG approved starting tickets and marking devices may be used — see Appendix 3. 23.2 The starting ticket together with the competition map shall be handed out to the competitor 10 minutes prior to his/her start at the latest. 23.3 When non-electronic or combined systems are used, competitors are allowed to prepare the starting ticket, eg. by writing on it, by reinforcing it or by putting it into a bag, but not by cutting-off parts of the starting ticket. 23.4 When electronic systems are used, competitors must have the opportunity to practise them at the model event. 23.5 Competitors shall be responsible for marking their starting ticket at each transmitter using the marking device provided. They are responsible for correct markings which must be clearly identifiable. 23.6 Missing or unidentifiable control marks shall not be considered, unless it can be established with certainty that the competitor visited the transmitter and that the mark missing or unidentifiable is not the competitor’s fault. 23.7 When systems with visible punch marks are used, at least a part of the marking must be in the appropriate box for this transmitter or in an empty reserve box. One mistake per competitor is acceptable, eg. marking outside the correct box or jumping one box, provided all markings can be identified clearly. A competitor who attempts to gain advantage by inaccurate marking may be disqualified. 23.8 Competitors who lose their starting tickets shall be disqualified.
24.1 On arrival at the competition area, competitors shall place their receivers at the point indicated to them by the referee. Spare receivers and components, clearly marked as property of a particular team or competitor, shall be placed at an indicated point just beyond the starting line beside the starting corridor. All transmitters shall remain silent until collection of the receivers is completed. 24.2 All competitors shall have at least 45 minutes for undisturbed preparation and warm-up at the start area. Only competitors who have not started and team officials shall be allowed to enter the warm-up area. 24.3 The following information shall be shown on a special board at the start area: · time limit · transmitter frequencies · starting list · first start time (in local time) · sample of the flag and marking device · clock showing the official time of the competition 24.4 The start shall be organised with a pre-start before the time start, situated at one edge of the warm-up area. The competitors’ names shall be called or displayed. Beyond the pre-start, only starting competitors and media representatives guided by the organiser are allowed. 24.5 Competitors shall enter the pre-start area TEN MINUTES before their own start. At the same time, they shall be given their receivers, maps and starting tickets (see 23.2). 24.6 The start shall be organised so that later competitors and other persons cannot see the maps and the route choices of the starters. 24.7 When the starting signal is given, competitors may switch on their receivers and shall run along the starting corridor. Reaching the end, they shall start searching for the hidden transmitters. Competitors shall not stop in the starting corridor except for a receiver malfunction. 24.8 Competitors, who find out a failure of their receiver, may return within their own running time to the starting line and take their spare receiver or parts from the referee. It is strictly forbidden to give or take any assistance to or from any person except referees. 24.9 At least two starting corridors shall be provided by the organiser. They shall not be longer than 250 meters. The end of each corridor shall not be visible neither from the start area nor from any part of the other corridor(s). The terrain at the end of the starting corridors should offer normal runnability. The end of the starting corridor shall be clearly marked. 24.10 Competitors who are late for their start time through their own fault shall be permitted to start. The starting referee shall determine at which time they may start which shall be as soon as possible but under consideration of the possible influence on other competitors. These late competitors shall be timed, however, as if they had started at their original start time. 24.11 Competitors being late for their start time because of a fault of the organiser shall be given a new start time.
25.1 Transmitters used at IARU ARDF Championships shall meet the Technical Specifications for ARDF Equipment (see Appendix 1, section 2). 25.2 The antenna installation shall not be changed during the competition. 25.3 All transmitters including the beacon shall be well audible during the whole competition from the starting point, using a receiver of average sensitivity. All transmissions shall be monitored and recorded by the organiser. 25.4 Transmitters begin to operate after all receivers have been collected at the start. Transmitters shall remain operating until the end of the time limit of the last competitor. The beacon transmitter shall remain operating until all competitors have finished. 25.5 Transmitters shall operate on each band in the following sequence: · finish beacon sending code MO continuously · transmitter No.1 sending code MOE in the first minute · transmitter No.2 sending code MOI in the second minute · transmitter No.3 sending code MOS in the third minute · transmitter No.4 sending code MOH in the fourth minute · transmitter No.5 sending code MO5 in the fifth minute - of the 5-minute cycle, starting at 0:00. If the authorities of the organising society make any transmitter identification compulsory such identification can only be transmitted during the active minute.
25.6 Transmitters shall be searched for by each category as follows:
· 25.7 The order in which competitors search for and discover the transmitters is entirely at their discretion. 25.8 The finish beacon shall be placed at the entrance of the finish corridor. It has no flag and marking device and need not be discovered and registered. 25.9 Transmitters No.1 through 5 shall be marked by a flag consisting of three squares 30 x 30 cm arranged in a triangular form. Each square shall be divided diagonally, one half being white and the other orange or red. 25.10 The flag shall be close to the transmitter antenna but not further away than 4 meters. The flag shall be visible to competitors when they reach the transmitter antenna. 25.11 To prove the passage of the competitors, there shall be at least two or more marking devices in the immediate vicinity of each flag. 25.13 Each transmitter must be easily recognizable by its code number (one to five), which shall be fixed to the flag for easy identification by the competitors. In case of competitions with transmitters working on two different frequency bands there must be another clear sign indicating the frequency band of the transmitter. 25.14 All transmitters shall be guarded. Normally each transmitter is attended by the transmitter operator and a member of the International Jury. 25.15 The time at which each competitor finds a transmitter shall be recorded.
26.1 The competition ends for a competitor when crossing the finishing line. 26.2 The finish corridor begins at the finish beacon and ends at the finish line. Its entrance shall not be wider than 10 m. It shall be clearly marked on both sides by uninterrupted tape. The last 20 m shall be straight. The length of the corridor shall be indicated by the siting referee at the team officials meeting a day prior to the competition. 26.3 The finish line shall be at least 3 m wide and shall be at right angles to the direction of the run-in. The exact position of the finish line shall be obvious to approaching competitors. 26.4 The finishing time shall be measured when the competitor’s chest crosses the finish line. Times shall be rounded down to whole seconds. Times shall be given in either hours, minutes and seconds or in minutes and seconds only. 26.5 After a competitor has crossed the finish line, the starting ticket and, if so required, the competition map have to be handed over to the organiser. 26.6 Having crossed the finish line, a competitor may not re-enter the competition terrain without the permission of the organiser. A competitor who retires shall announce this at the finish immediately and hand in the map and starting ticket. That competitor shall in no way influence the competition nor help other competitors. 26.7 There shall be medical facilities and personnel at the finish, who are also equipped to work in the forest. 26.8 The time-keeping system shall meet the Technical Specifications for ARDF Equipment (see Appendix 1, section 3).
27.1 The place of an individual competitor depends on (first) the number of transmitters found and (second) his or her running time. Only transmitters which are scored for the particular category are considered. Competitors who have failed either to find any transmitter or who have exceed the time limit, shall not be classified. 27.2 The place of a team depends on (first) the sum of transmitters found and (second) the sum of times reached by the two classified team members possessing the best results. 27.3 Two or more competitors or teams having the same result shall be given the same placing in the results list. The position(s) following the tie shall remain vacant. 27.4 Provisional results shall be announced and displayed in the finish area during the competition. The official results shall be published not more than 2 hours after final approval of the provisional results by the Jury. They shall be handed out on the day of the competition to each team manager and to accredited media representatives and presented openly at three different places for general information at least. 27.5 The official results shall include all participating competitors and teams. 27.6 At the end of the championship every competitor, Jury member, team official and accredited media representative shall receive an official results list and the competition maps. Further result lists and maps may be sold at a small charge to all interested.
28.1 The title of World Champion or Regional/Continental Champion shall be awarded for the 3,5 and 144 MHz competitions and for each official category separately. 28.2 The following prizes shall be awarded in all competitions: · 1st place Gold medal and certificate · 2nd place Silver medal and certificate · 3rd place Bronze medal and certificate · 4th–6th place Certificate 28.3 If two or more competitors or teams have the same placing, they shall each receive the appropriate medal and/or certificate. 28.4 In the team classification, each classified member of the team shall receive the appropriate medal and/or certificate. 28.5 The organiser shall arrange a dignified prize-giving ceremony. 28.6 The prize-giving ceremonies shall be performed by the representatives of the organising society and the IARU Regional Organisation. 28.7 During the prize-giving ceremony, the national flags of the first three competitors/teams should be flown and the national anthem of the winner may be played.
29.1 All persons taking part in an ARDF event shall behave with fairness and honesty. They shall have a sporting attitude and a spirit of friendship. Competitors shall show respect for each other, for officials, journalists, spectators and the inhabitants of the competition area. The competitors shall be as quiet as possible in the terrain. 29.2 It is absolutely forbidden to give or take any assistance to or from any person, including competitors, or to utilize any means of transport, except: · assistance provided by referees within the scope of their defined duties, as long as that assistance is equally available to all competitors; · it is the duty of all competitors to help injured runners. No competitor will be disqualified for giving or receiving such an assistance, as long as he or she does not gain competitive advantage by doing so. 29.3 Doping is forbidden. The ARDF WG or during a championship the Jury may require doping control procedures to be conducted. 29.4 The organiser, with the consent of the ARDF WG, may decide to publish the venue of the competition in advance. If the venue is not made public, all officials shall maintain strict secrecy about the competition area and terrain. In any case, strict secrecy shall be kept about the courses. 29.5 Any attempt to survey or train in the area embargoed by the organiser is not allowed. Attempts to gain any information related to the courses, beyond that provided by the organiser, are not permitted before and during the competition. 29.6 Team officials, competitors, media representatives and spectators shall remain in the areas assigned to them. 29.7 Members of the international Jury and transmitter operators shall neither disturb nor detain any competitor, nor supply any information whatsoever. They shall remain quiet, wear inconspicuous clothing and shall not help competitors approaching transmitters. This also applies to all other persons in the terrain. 29.8 A competitor who breaks any rule, or who benefits from the breaking of any rule, shall be disqualified.
Appendix 1: Technical Specifications for Amateur Radio Direction Finding Equipment 1.1 Receivers and antennas of any type may be used by the competitors. 1.2 Any receiver producing audible interference in the 3,5 MHz or 144 MHz band at a distance of 10 meters or more shall not be used in the competitions. 1.3 The International Jury may require tests on any competitor’s receiver prior to its use in the competitions. 2.1 It is the responsibility of the organising society to ensure that all transmitters in use comply with the relevant radio regulations in force in the country of operation with regard to their electric parameters, identification and to their being operated only by duly authorised operators. 2.2 All transmitters within one competition shall have the same parameters and the same antenna installation. 2.3 The frequency of the beacon transmitter shall be significantly different from the frequency of the other five transmitters. 2.4 When not scheduled to be transmitting, neither transmitter nor its antenna may radiate any RF energy. 2.5 Antennas shall provide omnidirectional horizontal radiation patterns. 2.6 Specifications for the 3.5 MHz transmitters: · Carrier frequency * 3510 ... 3600 KHz · Frequency stability better than 50 ppm · Undesired products level conforming to the national regulations · Output RF power 1 - 5 W · Mode A1A (keyed unmodulated carrier) · Keying speed 8 ... 12 WPM · Antenna vertical 2.7 Specifications for the 144 MHz transmitters: · Carrier frequency * 144.5 ... 144.80 MHz · Frequency stability better than 50 ppm · Undesired products level conforming to the national regulations · Effective Radiated Power (ERP) 0,25 - 1 W · Mode A2A (keyed carrier modulated by AF tone or continuous carrier modulated by keyed AF tone) · Modulation depth 75 +- 5% · Keying speed 8 ... 12 WPM · Antenna polarisation horizontal · Antenna height 2 ... 3 meters above ground level
Note: ( * ) Carrier frequency ranges indicated in these Rules are those normally used by IARU Region I societies. Organizers in other Regions may employ different ranges to meet their band plan regulations. According to Part A 7.4 of these Rules transmitter frequencies are to be stated in bulletin 2, which is to be dispatched 5 months before the event. 3.1 The official competition time shall correspond to the official local time. 3.2 Two independent time-keeping systems, a primary and a secondary, shall be used. 3.3 The maximum deviation of the clocks at the start and finish line is ONE SECOND against the official time during the whole competition. 3.4 The maximum deviation of the transmitting periods is FIVE SECONDS against the official time during the whole competition. The maximum transmitting overlap of two transmitters is FIVE SECONDS. 4.1 Any other equipment used by the organiser (service radio net, time-keeping system, computers, electronic marking devices etc.) shall not cause audible interference to competitors’ receivers.
Appendix 2: Principles for course planning 1.1 Purpose These principles aim at establishing common standards for the planning of ARDF courses in order to ensure fair competitions and to safeguard the unique character of ARDF. 1.2 Application of these principles Courses in all international ARDF events shall be planned in accordance with these principles. They should also serve as general guidelines for the planning of other competitive ARDF events. 2.1 Aim of good course planning The aim of course planning is to offer competitors courses correctly designed for their expected abilities. Results shall reflect the competitors’ technical and physical ability. 2.2 Siting referee’s golden rules The siting referee shall keep the following principles in mind: · the unique character of ARDF: the combination of direction finding under time stress and the physical ability · the fairness of the competition · competitors enjoyment · the protection of wildlife and the environment · the needs of the media and spectators 2.2.1 Unique character Every sport has its own character. The unique character of ARDF is to find a number of transmitters hidden in unknown terrain against the clock. This demands special skills: handling of the direction finding receiver and interpreting measurements, accurate map reading, route choice evaluation, concentration under stress, quick decision making, running in natural terrain, etc. 2.2.2 Fairness Fairness is a basic requirement in competitive sport. Unless the greatest care is taken at each step of course planning and transmitter placing, luck can easily become significant in ARDF competitions. The siting referee shall consider all such factors to ensure that the contest is fair and that all competitors face the same conditions during every part of the course. 2.2.3 Competitors enjoyment The popularity of ARDF can only be enhanced if competitors are satisfied with the courses they are given. Careful course planning is therefore necessary to ensure that courses are appropriate in terms of length, physical and technical difficulty, transmitters siting, etc. In this respect it is particularly important that each course is suitable for the competitors doing that course. 2.2.4 Wildlife and the environment The environment is sensitive: wildlife may be disturbed and the ground as well as the vegetation may suffer from overuse. The environment also includes people living in the competition area, walls, fences, cultivated land, buildings and other constructions, etc. It is usually possible to find ways to avoid interference with the most sensitive areas without damage. Experience and research have shown that even large events can be organised in sensitive areas without permanent damage if the correct precautions are taken and the courses are well planned. It is very important that the siting referee ensures that there is access to the chosen terrain and that any sensitive areas in the terrain are discovered in advance.
3. ARDF course
3.1 Terrain The terrain shall be chosen so that a fair competition is being offered to all competitors. To safeguard the character of the sport, the terrain should be runnable and suitable for testing the ARDF skills of the competitors. On a good ARDF course, competitors are forced to concentrate on navigation throughout the race. Sections requiring no attention to navigation should be avoided (if possible). Alternative routes force competitors to use the map to assess the terrain and to draw conclusions from it. Route choices make competitors think independently and will split up the field, thus minimising ”following”. A good course shall disperse the competitors throughout the competition area and not bring them together. The transmitters should be intentionally placed and numbered so that competitors of different categories have different ”optimum first” transmitters. The direction of the starting corridor carries also a certain weight in these considerations. Courses should not contain route or transmitter order choices resulting in any advantage or disadvantage which cannot be foreseen from the receiver or the map by a competitor under competitive conditions. Course sections which encourage competitors to cross the start or finish area or forbidden or dangerous areas must be avoided. 3.2 Start The start area should be so situated and organised that: · there is a warm up area and shelter sufficient for all competitors · waiting competitors cannot see taking bearings or route choices made by those who have already started. The starting point should not be located in the best part of the competition area – an area of 1.5 km in diameter around the start cannot be used for transmitters. The starting corridors shall be easy-to-run and clearly marked, especially at their ends and the following terrain should be open for running. All transportation from the start to the finish (garments of competitors, acco | |||||||||||||||||||||||